1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of packaging or encapsulating integrated circuit chips and the field of semiconductor packages containing such chips.
2. Description of Related Art
The most common method of producing semiconductor packages containing integrated circuit chips consists in fastening the chip to a support member equipped with external or internal electrical connection lines, for example a plate or a gate, and in encapsulating the chip and in part the support and electrical connection member in an encapsulation material by injection moulding. According to a less common technique, the encapsulation material is replaced by a lid enveloping the chip at a distance and installed after fastening the chip to the support and electrical connection member.
Although giving satisfaction for most of the time, these techniques require the implementation of expensive tools and of relatively lengthy fabrication steps. These semiconductor packages produced sometimes have weaknesses particularly with regard to their mechanical strength or with regard to their resistance to corrosion, leading to a deterioration of the electrical connection pads of the chips and of the electrical connection means between these pads and the exterior of the packages. Furthermore, the known packages fabricated especially by injection use relatively expensive materials.